Last-minute call for Crows on Scott Thompson and Ben Rutten

TEAMS: ADELAIDE and Hawthorn are both reserving the right to make late changes to their line-ups for Friday night's sold-out clash at Adelaide Oval.

Michelangelo Rucci

The AdvertiserJuly 11, 20141:20am

ADELAIDE and Hawthorn are both reserving the right to make late changes to their line-ups for Friday night's sold-out clash at Adelaide Oval as weather, injury concerns and tactical moves set up a game before the big game.

But Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson says “some selection decisions” will not be made until Friday evening as Rutten and Scott Thompson will be tested again during the day.

He has midfielders Matt Crouch and Jarryd Lyons and defender Luke Thompson on standby.

AFL premier Hawthorn loaded up with two ruckmen — Ben McEvoy and Jonathan Ceglar — while dealing with the loss of Norm Smith Medallist, key defender Brian Lake, with a four-game ban for his choking hold on North Melbourne forward Drew Petrie.

The Hawks have dropped ruckman David Hale to recall McEvoy and lost the experienced Brad Sewell (hamstring).

Hawthorn has also recalled midfielder Will Langford and Jonathan Simpkin.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson on Thursday did not want to rake over the Lake suspension — nor the thought his absence from the Hawks’ defence exposes his team to defeat against Adelaide's multi-dimensional attack.

“Brian has played four or five games — and we are at round 17 having won 11 games,” Clarkson said.

“It is not as if we can't win games without him. We move on — with full faith in the depth of our squad.”

And Clarkson, who last week returned to coaching after a five-week lay-off with a serious medical concern, insisted the Hawks have far more to deal with than losing Lake after the loss to North Melbourne in Friday Night Football at Etihad Stadium last week.

“It is not one thing, there are 40 things (Hawthorn must address),” Clarkson said.

And Clarkson added there was more than just Adelaide's attack to suffocate, particularly when it will be supplied by the best-performing midfield systems led by All-Australian-contending ruckman Sam Jacobs.

“Jacobs, Patrick Dangerfield and Scott Thompson ... and there's a lot of other (good) things about Adelaide,” Clarkson said.

“You can't focus on one thing.”

Power forward Angus Monfries, right, has been ruled out of Sunday’s match against Richmond at Etihad Stadium. Picture: Sarah Reed.Source:News Corp Australia

PORT ADELAIDE on Thursday night named a 25-man squad without specialist forward Angus Monfries (hamstring) as the Power prepares to deal with ending a two-game losing streak while facing another pesky opponent, Richmond, at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.